Parachuting

by Leora Freedman

It's 1973 in the sleepy Connecticut suburbs, and sixteen-year-old Zoe Diamond has way more than sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll on her mind. Her best friend Naomi has threatened to commit suicide, and while Zoe wants to help her, she also wouldn't mind a conversation-starter with their young Hebrew schoolteacher Rivka Lev, for whom she's developing confusing and intense feelings. Rivka is like no one she's ever maddening, inspiring, and most of all, she challenges Zoe to make worthwhile choices in a world she doesn't totally understand. As fears for Naomi come to a head, Zoe finds herself increasingly confronted by big questions and realizes that coming close to the edge is easier than she used to believe.

324 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2011

Reviews

[Three O'Clock Press]

It's 1973 in the sleepy Connecticut suburbs and sixteen-year old Zoe Diamond has way more than sex, drugs and rock n' roll on her mind. Her best friend Naomi has threatened to commit suicide, and while Zoe wants to help her, she also wouldn't mind a conversation-starter with their young Hebrew school teacher Rivka Lev, for whom she's developing confusing and intense feelings. Rivka is like no one she's ever met: maddening and inspiring, she challenges Zoe to make worthwhile choices in a world she doesn't totally understand. As Zoe is confronted by these big questions, she realizes that coming close to the edge is easier than she used to believe.